Rowan Williams said society must share the burden of the recession together. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

The archbishop of Canterbury today said that the burden of the economic downturn should be "fairly shared", amid fears that the less well-off in society were being hit the hardest.

In his Christmas Day sermon, Dr Rowan Williams spoke of "a lasting sense the most prosperous have yet to shoulder their load". His comments might be seen to support the stance of trade unions and students who have claimed that, as the coalition government seeks to slash the national deficit, the less well-off are being penalised as a result of a recession caused by the folly of City bankers.

Williams said: "Confidence isn't in huge supply at the moment, given the massive crises of trust that have shaken us all in the last couple of years and the lasting sense that the most prosperous have yet to shoulder their load."

He called for a more equitable distribution of the burden being imposed on society if people are not to feel hard done by. "Faced with the hardship that quite clearly lies ahead for so many in the wake of financial crisis and public spending cuts, how far are we able to sustain a living sense of loyalty to each other, a real willingness to bear the load together?" he said.

"How eager are we to find some spot where we feel safe from the pressures that are crippling and terrifying others?

"As has more than once been said, we can and will as a society bear hardship if we are confident that it is being fairly shared; and we shall have that confidence only if there are signs that everyone is committed to their neighbour, that no one is just forgotten, that no interest group or pressure group is able to opt out."

If his comments about the rich making more of a contribution might make uncomfortable reading for the coalition, his call for people to buy into David Cameron's "big society" idea would be more welcome.

"If we are ready, if we are all ready, to meet the challenge represented by the language of the 'big society', we may yet restore some mutual trust," he said.

"It's no use being cynical about this; whatever we call the enterprise, the challenge is the same – creating confidence by sharing the burden of constructive work together."

The archbishop cited the forthcoming royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, saying that the Christian bond of marriage was a symbol of hope for humanity.

"Next year, we shall be joining in the celebration of what we hope will be a profoundly joyful event in the royal wedding," he said. "It is certainly cause for celebration that any couple, let alone this particular couple, should want to embark on the adventure of Christian marriage, because any and every Christian marriage is a sign of hope, since it is a sign and sacrament of God's own committed love.

"And it would be good to think that in this coming year, we, as a society, might want to think through, carefully and imaginatively, why lifelong faithfulness and the mutual surrender of selfishness are such great gifts."

Williams said there were marriages "where something extraordinary has happened because of the persistence of one of the parties, or where faithfulness has survived the tests of severe illness or disability or trauma".

The Archbishop also singled out the strong bond between those in the armed forces and their loved ones.

"I admit, find myself deeply moved at times when I speak with the families of servicemen and women, where this sense of solidarity is often so deeply marked, so generous and costly," he said.

Williams also urged people to remember those around the world, including in Zimbabwe and Iraq, who suffer repression and persecution for their Christian faith.